April 1, 2026
The aim of this student-led conference is to expose current undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to a range of career paths, including research and practice related to public health. The conference offers an opportunity for the community to reflect on skills needed for health research and practice and provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with presentation experience.
The conference is open to all UWaterloo graduate students conducting research or working in public health, and all SPHS undergraduate students, faculty and staff.
All undergraduate thesis (HLTH 432) student poster presentations were automatically included in the conference.
Conference program
|
Time |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
8:30 a.m. |
Registration |
|
9:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Opening Ceremony |
|
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 am |
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best |
|
10:15 - 11:15 a.m. |
Morning Poster Session |
|
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. |
Careers Workshop |
|
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch |
|
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
Grad Oral Presentations Session A |
|
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
Afternoon Poster Session |
|
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
Grad Oral Presentations Session B |
| 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Poster Viewing |
|
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
Awards and Closing Remarks |
Keynote
Intentionally Engaging in the Continuum: Community-Engaged Research
Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, where she specializes in mental health, Black health, and qualitative research focused on children, youth, women, and equity-seeking populations. She earned her PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto and previously completed postdoctoral research at the University of Ottawa examining stigma and intersectionality in mental health contexts.
Dr. Jackson-Best has over 15 years of experience in health research, knowledge translation, project development, and project management, and has held academic and teaching roles internationally. She also served as Project Manager for Black Health Alliance leading the Pathways to Care initiative to improve access to culturally responsive mental health and addictions services for Black families across Ontario. Her scholarly work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and reflects her commitment to advancing equity, community-engaged research, and systemic change in public health. Her current research explores the impact of Islamophobia on the mental health of Black Muslims, Muslims, and Muslim women in Canada.
Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best, PhD (she/her)
Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, where she specializes in mental health, Black health, and qualitative research focused on children, youth, women, and equity-seeking populations. She earned her PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto and previously completed postdoctoral research at the University of Ottawa examining stigma and intersectionality in mental health contexts. Dr. Jackson-Best has over 15 years of experience in health research, knowledge translation, project development, and project management, and has held academic and teaching roles internationally. She also served as Project Manager for Black Health Alliance, leading the Pathways to Care initiative to improve access to culturally responsive mental health and addictions services for Black families across Ontario. Her scholarly work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and reflects her commitment to advancing equity, community-engaged research, and systemic change in public health. Her current research explores the impact of Islamophobia on the mental health of Black Muslims, Muslims, and Muslim women in Canada.
Ashlyn Simpson, BSc Biomedical Toxicology, MSc Public Health
Ashlyn Simpson is the Project Manager for the Yellowknife Health Effects Monitoring Program, a biomonitoring program led by the University of Waterloo and the University of Ottawa. In this role, she supports all study aspects, including public communications, stakeholder engagement, and building community connections. She holds a BSc in Biomedical Toxicology and a MSc in Public Health. She also has experience in toxicology consulting and other environmental health research programs based in Canada.
Kimberly D'Mello, MSc Public Health (she/her)
Kimberly D’Mello is a Health Promoter with the Region of Peel on the Tobacco, Cannabis and Vaping team. In this role, she supports evidence-informed initiatives focused on youth substance use prevention, adult smoking cessation, and broad protection of public health through smoke-free environments. Before joining Peel, she worked at Health Canada’s Tobacco Directorate, contributing to national projects in policy, surveillance, and regulatory science. Kimberly is an alumna of the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences and completed her MSc under the supervision of Dr. Hammond in 2024, specializing in tobacco control and population health research. She is committed to strengthening community partnerships and translating research into practical, impactful public health action.
Oral presentations
Oral presentations were a maximum of seven minutes followed by a two minute question and answer period.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
|
Title |
Authors |
|---|---|
| Using Large Language Models for lay summarization of research articles in spinal cord injury | Parisa Razavi Yeganeh, Abel Torres Espin |
| Systems Thinking and Human Resource Management in Health Care: Core Applications Across Health System Levels | Victoria Babysheva, Elena Neiterman, Phil Bigelow, Jennifer Yessis |
| A critical comparative policy analysis: older worker retention in Canada and Sweden | Abbey Davis, Ellen MacEachen, Christian Ståhl |
| Association Between Fast-Food Marketing Exposure and Food-Away-From-Home Consumption Among Canadian Youth | Tristan Melville, Ashley Amson, Christine White, Lana Vanderlee, Michael P. Wallace, Sharon Kirkpatrick, David Hammond. |
| Trends in the THC content of cannabis products across time and country | Anastasia Marquette, David Hammond |
| Exploring the influence of climate change on access to healthcare for low-income older adults with a non-communicable disease in the Philippines | Hannah Rayel, Monica Bustos, Warren Dodd |
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
|
Title |
Authors |
|---|---|
| International differences in sweetener use in ready-to-drink beverages: An online market scan of retail sources across Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. | Karen Hock, Maryam Iraniparast, Sharon I. Kirkpatrick, Vicki L. Rynard, Gary Sacks, Lana Vanderlee, David Hammond |
| “Tripledemic”: Understanding the seasonal dynamics of respiratory illness-related hospital admission in older adults before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario | Aditi Mojoe, Evan Mitchell, Roberto Guglielmi, Zahid Ahmad Butt |
| Emergency System Strain, Code Black Events, and Climate Change in Thunder Bay, Ontario: A Data-Driven Evaluation of Contributing Factors and Predictive Insights | Isabella Coady,
Plinio Morita
Jasleen Kaur
|
| Co-Designing Digital Games with Young Men for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention | Kayla Vitasa, Veen Wong, Maham Kamal, Laura Wallace Jarvis, Pearl Wiafe, Esraa Hamdy Hamada, Sarah Sleiman, Cayley MacArthur, James R. Wallace |
| Social Isolation and Loneliness as Important Targets for Preserving Executive Function in Older Adults | Janelle Clark, Suzanne Tyas |
Poster presentations
Morning
|
Title |
Authors |
|---|---|
|
Exploring the Experiences of Front-line Workers in Group Homes within Ontario (UG) |
Abeeha Shuja, Elena Neiterman |
|
An Intersectional Inquiry into the Workplace Experiences of Racialized and Immigrant Early Childhood Educators in Ontario (UG) |
Afra Parvez, Philip Bigelow |
|
Experiences of Racialized Immigrant Women during the Pre-Hospital Phase of Emergency Medical Care (G) |
Ailin Jalili, Elena Neiterman, Charity Oga-Omenka |
|
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Young Adults Caring for Relatives Living with Dementia (UG) |
Alessia Apa, Elena Neiterman |
|
The Association Between the p Factor and Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Chronic Physical Illnesses (UG) |
Anmol Jassal, Mark Ferro |
|
Envisioning the Impact of Mass Migration, Geopolitical Conflict, Climate Change, and Trust on Foodborne Illness Risk Among Refugees in Canada in 2045 (G) |
Ashvini Gulasingam, Vanessa Schweizer, Samantha B. Meyer, Irene Lambraki, and Shannon E. Majowicz |
|
Exploring the trust of Central-Eastern European immigrants from post-communist countries in the Canadian healthcare system (UG) |
Ecaterina Rosu, Samantha Meyer |
|
From Policy to Practice: Exploring Healthcare Workers' Experiences with Disaster Risk Management Plans in the Philippines (UG) |
Emily Dang, Warren Dodd |
|
Nicotine Use in the Canadian Army (UG) |
Ethan Guo, Shannon Majowicz |
|
Non-nutritive sweeteners in the United States food supply (G) |
Gwen Nguyen, Lesley Andrade, Rachel A Murphy, Sharon I Kirkpatrick |
|
AI-Induced Psychosis: Exploring Mechanisms and Risk Factors (UG) |
Jagriti Hira, Maureen Drysdale |
|
The Association between Food Service Employment and Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in a University Student Population (G) |
Kate Breberina |
|
Defining AI Readiness in Health Data: Insights from the CAN-VIEW National Eye Data Repository (UG) |
Lakshna Ponrajah, Helen Chen |
|
Externalizing Behaviours Before, During, and After COVID-19 School Closures among Children with a Chronic Physical Illness (UG) |
Larisa Cao, Mark Ferro |
|
Examining the Associations Between Climate Variables and Lyme Disease Incidence in Ontario (UG) |
Lucas Markou, Shannon Majowicz |
|
AI vs Human Screening at Title/Abstract & Full Text (UG) |
Marco Gorici, Mark Oremus |
|
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Canine Assisted Interventions in School Settings (UG) |
Melissa Lu, Diane Williams |
|
Effects of Mixed-Mode Training and Supplementation on Insulin Sensitivity and Glycemic Control in Overweight/Obese Males and Females (UG) |
Muskan Basra, Michaela Devries-Aboud |
|
Evaluation of Fragility Index Use in Predicting Accelerated Oncology Drugs Subsequent Withdrawal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (UG) |
Rahul Desai, Mark Oremus |
| Amplifying Racialized Women’s Experiences in Digital Menstrual Tracking (UG) | Ranmali Attapattu, Elena Neiterman |
|
The Cumulative Impact of a Perceived Stress and Lack of Social Support Profile on Physiological Stress among Firefighters in Waterloo, Ontario (G) |
Seun Adegboyega Adejumo, John G. Mielke, Tara McAuley, Ashok Chaurasia |
|
Effect of Social Connection on the Association between Executive Function and Depressive Symptoms: Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (G) |
Taronish Kotwall and Suzanne L. Tyas |
| How can we be Free from Food? An Analysis of #foodfreedom on Instagram (UG) | Taylor Gowans, Aly Bailey |
| Perspectives of Health Professionals on Women’s Health Autonomy in the African Region (UG) | Thenugaa Rajeswaran, Charity Oga-Omenka |
| Investigating Online Health Information-Seeking and Sharing Among Women with Adenocarcinoma in Situ (AIS): A Media Analysis (UG) | Theshani Vijayaratnam, Elena Neiterman & Helen Chen |
| Social Prescribing and Mental Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review (UG) | Tomiwa Ogunleye, Mark Oremus |
| The Role of Music in Memory Recall and Emotional Regulation in Patients with Dementia (G) | Vidhi Modha and Laura Williams |
| Sleep Disturbance and Antipsychotic Use Among Older Adults in Canadian Long-Term Care | Madeline MacLean |
Afternoon
|
Title |
Authors |
|---|---|
| Exploring System Coordination and Student Engagement Across UW Health and Wellness Services (UG) | Asantewa Quansah, Russ Tupling |
| Investigating the Association between Mental Health Disorders and Opioid Use Among Youth in Canada (UG) | Brent McCready-Branch, Mark Ferro & Scott T. Leatherdale |
| How do youth circumstances, experiences, and perceptions influence enrolment in post secondary education in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge region? (UG) | Christopher Osborne, Kelly Anthony |
| Coping Strategies to support expressions of grief and bereavement among healthcare workers in acute and non-acute healthcare settings: a scoping review (G) | Crystal-Jade Cargill, Elena Neiterman, and Phil Bigelow |
| Trends in Any, Combusted, and Non-Combusted Nicotine Product Use Among Youth in Canada from 2017 to 2024 by Sociodemographic Characteristics (G) | Dominique Bernales, Makenna N. Gomes, Vicki L. Rynard, Robin Burkhalter, David Hammond |
| Multilevel factors influencing self-reported sexually transmitted infections among women in Africa: an analysis based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model (G) | Ebenezer Armah-Ansah |
| Glucose Homeostasis in Gastrocnemius Muscle of Taffazin KO Mice (UG) | Eknoor Saini, Robin Duncan |
| Lost in Translation: Perceived Experiences of International Students with Chronic Illnesses Navigating the Danish Healthcare System (G) | Johane Jensen-LeBlanc |
| The Effect of Barriers faced by South Asian Immigrants on their Children's Health (UG) | Khushleen Bawa, Ellen MacEachen |
| Incapacity Literacy: Bridging the Gap Between Financial, Health, and Mental Health Literacy (UG) | Marco D'Angelo, Helen Chen |
| Experiences of Paid-work and Caregiving Responsibilities Among South Asian Women in Ontario, Canada (UG) | Maria Naqvi, Elena Neiterman |
| Data-Driven Insights into Medication Non-Adherence: A Predictive Analytics Approach (G) | Marilyn Marcano-Maurera & Ying Zhu |
| Empowering Educators as Protective Factors: Exploring Adult Learning Strategies Through the Community Resilience Coalition (UG) | Matthew Petracca, Jennifer Yessis |
| Oura Ring Use in Women's Health (UG) | Nadeen Al-Janabi, Jim Wallace |
| Mapping Effective Communication Strategies for Digital Anti-Hate Initiatives (UG) | Omoye Edokpolor, Jennifer Yessis |
| Evaluating AI as a Stress Management Tool Among University Students (UG) | Rose Aydin, Plinio Morita |
| Profiling Technologies Used in Pakistan to Support the Tuberculosis Care Pathway (UG) | Saad Ahmed, Charity Ogo-Omenka |
| Evaluating the Brain and Body Programme: The Role of Social Relationships and Intergenerational Engagement in Dementia Care (UG) | Shams Alabdali, Laura Middleton |
| Analyzing Nutrition Interventions and Dietary Counselling Strategies for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Among South Asian Adults: A Scoping Review (UG) | Shanzey Shaikh, Ashley Amson |
| The Effects of Elevated CO₂ Emissions on the Nutritional Quality of Rice Crops; A Scoping Review (UG) | Shaziya Kaba, Sharon Kirkpatrick |
| Reporting, experimental design, and analysis practices limiting replicability of experimental spinal cord injury research: a systematic review (G) | Simran Saggu, Brittany Fedor, Romana Vavrek Lecerf, John Gensel, Sydney Storvold, Antoinette Nguyen, Kale Scatterty, Karim Fouad, Abel Torres Espin |
| Government Policy & Identity: Comparing the Experiences of Chinese and Romanian Adoptees (UG) | Tienna Schade, Kelly Anthony |
| Evaluating the impact of experiential learning based on principles of Neuroplasticity applied in the undergraduate course Design Your Future (G) | Urszula Pasterkiewicz, Philip Bigelow, Elena Neiterman, Christine Purdon, Diane Williams, Jennifer Yessis, Victoria Rico |
| SCI-EHR: A Multi-source Harmonized Electronic Health Records Dataset for Research in Spinal Cord Injury and Disease (G) | Vladyslav Shein, Marzieh Mussavi Rizi, PhD, MCS, Abel Torres-Espin, PhD |
| Exploring Cancer Screening in Africa: A Rapid-Review of Barriers and Facilitators (UG) | Zeeyaan Bourdeau, Helen Chen |
Presentation award winners
To be announced.
Organizing committee
Chair: Grace Okusanya
Incoming Co-Chairs: Rachel Deshpande and Afreen Nagra
Financial Officers: Helena Godinho Nascimento and Ziting Shen
Peer Review Coordinators: Makenna Nunes Gomes, Carly Wheelans and Salma Mohammed
Logistics Officers: Rachel Deshpande and Sadie Gomes
Workshop and Panel Coordinators: Ava Kucera, Syntheya Leslie, and Lisa Blank
Communications Officers: Elizabeth Wang and Afreen Nagra
Faculty of Environment Contact: Joan Kaburia
Event Co-op Students: Lauren Vanderlinde and Quinn Douglas
Support: Pam Hopwood